EXACTLY WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Cheeky Radish has an official group over at Scrapbook News and Review Magazine site. So click here and check it out... and JOIN...what are you waiting for?

do I have to tell you EVERYTHING????

I'M A BLOGGING SLACKER...BUT...

I have an excuse. I do.

I haven't felt good all week and so today I stepped out of my norm and went to the Doctor. I couldn't stand it any longer. My ears... OMG.... they were exploding. With good cause, I have a double ear infection- as a matter of fact, the Doctor actually said...'you have a little kid double ear infection'. Yeah.

So, that's why I haven't blogged all week. Pretty good excuse huh? Couldn't make that one up. Nope, and anyway, why would you want to????

So, this is how I cured it, or at least how I contemplated curing it. It's a famous old artist's remedy

busy weekend....... whew....

Saturday morning we sprung out of bed (okay that's an exaggeration) and headed up to Wisconsin.

We had to drop our sails off at the sail makers. We had to have a small tear mended and to have them washed. While there, we met a man who makes counter tops.... ones we are seriously considering have put into our kitchen. We visited their showroom to check it out. Very interesting is all I'll say at the moment. Just may be the ticket. But we need a bit more research before I divulge more info.

After that, we headed to visit the boat. Covered in ice and slushy snow... but we were able to board her and ascertain that all was well with it. We realized a couple weeks ago that we hadn't covered the wenches and wanted to do that. We both can not wait for this again.....
So after that we headed to Chicago to pick up our daughter who agreed to come out and babysit for her cousins; to both help out my sister AND help out our daughter's finances.....

We finally got home Saturday, and pretty much sat tight.

Sunday we went to a gymnastic meet for my very talented little niece. She is pretty amazing out there. I'm not sure my body EVER contorted in that manner... much less with such grace. Isn't she just too cute?

That about sums it up. I'm finishing the second sleeve for THE sweater for my husband. Hopefully all is right with it and I can wrap it up. We'll see.

OH, and my CHEEY RADISH logo.... got it.. still need to settle on colors... soon I tell you...very soon.....

and now it's FRIDAY....

and, I've knit that stupid ass sweater another time. My husband will be home tonight, so he can 'try it on' and see what's wrong with it this time.

I received my packet for my knitting project that I was selected for... and I really want to delve into it.. but the sweater beckons. Once I know whether or not it's the right fit, I may spin off and go onto the 'project'.

I have a headache. I ALWAYS have a headache, but this one is a big one. I am really tired of headaches. I think I am allergic to my house. SERIOUSLY. I do. I think 100+ years of dust, horsehair plaster and old is causing my sinuses to go berserk. So, until this economy turns around, or my husband figures out what he wants to live in I'm stuck in full headache mode here in V.H. (Victorian Hell)

On to CHEEKY RADISH... I'm unfolding a new logo.... it came to me yesterday when I was listening to a 2nd grader read. So, you are asking, is it childish? Am I childish? What is childish? I bet you are sorry you asked.....

Keep checking Paper Popsicles ( where they are having extremely fun challenges and GIVE AWAYS)and here... for the unfolding, you know you just can't wait.

MONDAY, MONDAY..

So it's Monday again...

Okay this is an OLD statement, but maybe I am. Where does the time go?? I mean seriously? It was last Monday a minute or two ago- wasn't it? I don't have anything to major to discuss, in other words my last week wasn't too exciting.

Except for knitting... I did get accepted to be a part of a knitting project for a fairly famous (in the knitting world) pattern maker who is creating something new and exciting and was looking for people to be a part of it. (I can't say too much more at the moment- but it's cool- way cool). So THAT was exciting.

Anyway- that and the sweater. I think I mentioned that I'm knitting a sweater for my husband.... erghhhhh. I am a perfectionist when it comes to knitting, so in reality I've knit this thing probably 4 times. And I have another time to go. I had the front and the back done- and 'pinned' it on him and it was too long.

Really- couldn't he have just gone with the tunic and tight jeans look??? Could have started a trend for men who are in their 50's. He didn't embrace it. NOT even remotely.

IT'S FREE!!

Go to PAPER POPSICLES and get a FREE Cheeky Radish design today. It's Elizabeth enjoying the season. There are some fabulous ideas popping up over there, It makes me want to go up to my studio and create....




and back to Haiti... I haven't verified whether or not it's true, but I heard you can ship up to 50lbs of clothes,supplies whatever to Haiti FREE through UPS. So if that's true- lets get with it! SEND HELP.

GET ON OVER THERE....

Paper Popsicles is open again... in blog form. So WHAT are you doing here???? Check it out. They've got new cool stuff from me (!) and a lot of other great things too. So click here and go there!!!!

Haiti...

I am so very sad for the people of Haiti, what a terrible nightmare. I was once in Haiti- it is a poverty stricken country- and now this. I was only there briefly, a cruise stop- but came away realizing once again how we are so lucky to live in the USA.

It's hard to fathom what these poor people are going through. We are here in our comfortable lives, lucky, and relatively safe. I actually had the audacity to be crabby today because I was out for recess and it was bone chilling, damp and I wasn't in the mood. Hello??? Wasn't in the mood. What was I thinking? How dare I be so selfish?

There are many different ways you can donate - perhaps the easiest way is to text "Haiti" to 90999 to give $10 to the Red Cross. I understand it will be on your next phone bill. I haven't tried it yet, but I am going to as soon as I'm done with this.

There is also a blogger, I ran across, who has set up a website called Hope for Haiti - they going to sponsor giveaways to raise money to support the people of Haiti. I am sure there are many, many more places to donate, through churches and other charities.

We all need to reach out to help these people, and to appreciate what we have and where we live.

And I need to stop complaining about stupid things like cold recess duty.

A BABY....

Got your attention there, didn't I. NO, not one of my kids...thank you- not that I wouldn't LOVE a grandchild, but, they need to be in the right 'place' in their lives, and they aren't.

Anyway, a friend's daughter had a baby boy this week and I knit him a hat and little mittens. How cute are they?


It was so fun to do, I'm thinking of doing a couple more- surely someone else I know will have a baby and I'll be at the ready.

Gotta love winter......

Okay, we are back to Victorian Hell here. My kitchen, which might I say was custom done for us by a very talented woodsman had the sink on the west wall. It didn't seem prudent to move it, after all there were windows above the sink, that's where it had been, so why not.

Why not? I'll tell you why not. The wind comes whipping down the plains.. or in this case across the corn field behind us and periodically freezes the pipes. Freezes, inspite of the fact that they insulated that wall (or so they say). Now, call me crazy, but my dishwasher is conveniently located next to the sink and that also seemed a prudent idea to place it there. So guess which wall it's on???? And guess what happens???? Yes, indeedy it freezes too. Sometimes, like this time, it freezes and the sink pipes don't. Oh, and just so you know, it pretty much ONLY freezes when it has a full load of DIRTY DISHES in it. That, after all goes with out saying- right? Right.


So guess what fun activity I'm employing while I attempt to thaw out my dishwasher?


Don't you just wish you were me?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SISTER

Unfortunately, my sister is younger than I am. By 5 years....

Today is her birthday, and I well remember her birth day. She was born at home. Not planned, it just happened. My mother was making breakfast (she did that kind of thing, actually at the stove, not just out of the box) and sent me to find my dad upstairs. Quick. There was much hoopla... my grandma arrived, my dad's friend (now the local undertaker- my dad was the local undertaker in those days)and eventually the Doctor...however.

My dad's friend was to keep me occupied while my dad and grandma waited nervously for the local doctor and as it turns out delivered the baby. I remember a lot of hysteria and yelling and Phil trying to keep me occupied. He is a bachelor- had no 'kid' experience other than seeing them from time to time. I don't remember him actually distracting me- he probably just paced... Anyway, the doctor finally arrived. I greeted him at the door and informed him he was to late, probably with my hands on my hips.

I was very excited. Being a spoiled 5 year old they had been hyping this baby for ever. I expected a Gerber baby, one tooth, curl of hair on her head, maybe even a bow, sitting up.. you know about 9 months old. That was NOT what we got. My dad brought her out. I stood (yes, stood on the white chair) and I got my first look. This was no Gerber baby. As I remember, this was a wrinkly red prune-ish plucked bird. And to boot, they wheeled my mother out and took her and the plucked bird away. I was mighty disappointed.

I went to Kindergarten that afternoon with big show and tell to offer. Upon completion of this tale, the teacher, an 'old school' teacher, looked at me suspiciously and said, sit down Ardith Ann and quit making up stories.

Right.


Anyway, the prune-ish plucked bird, flourished and is a creative, beautiful woman, great wife & mother and animal lover, good friend and MY sister.

So Happy Birthday Melissa.

This is where I'd really like to post a photo of the two of us- me the 5 year old and her the plucked bird, but I can find one- so use your imagination!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

We had a GREAT time last night! Spent the evening with good friends at the home of one of the couples. We had excellent dinner- good wine and fun playing wii.

I may have to take up wii bowling as a New Year's activity. So fun... unless of course you are Daphne, who came face to face with a 'controller' before it came face to face with the TV. But...neither were any worse for the wear... well, Daphne did hide out for most of the rest of the evening in her cage. Woof woof... but she came out at the end of the evening to do her famous deep cavity nasal lick -so, my year is off to a good start!! And... I feel good today!

Happy New Year!!